Trade Alert: Grading LeVert deal from all angles

Grading LeVert deal from all angles: Long-term plan

The Cleveland Cavaliers have held steady on their evaluation of Collin Sexton since before the season began. They love his competitive fire, his scoring talent, his motor; they want him in the locker room and on this team. They also think he is a bench player, a 6th-Man type, and want to pay and deploy him as such. That is why the two sides didn’t come to a contract agreement on an extension last year, but it is also why they haven’t traded him away.

Adding LeVert is another piece to the long-term roster puzzle. The team clearly looked for a player who could start alongside Darius Garland; LeVert may not be a plus defender, but at 6’6″ he offers a lot more size and rebounding at the 2. He fits the theory of a team that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the front office are leaning into, that in a game where large men try to put a sphere through a ring suspended 10 feet in the air, size matters.

Yet does that signal Sexton’s departure this summer? Not necessarily. If the organization can get Sexton to buy into a bench role — and a limited market this summer with so few teams holding cap space could help — then he could slot in behind and at times alongside LeVert. Yet adding LeVert means the Cavs have even more leverage; if Sexton walks they still have their starting 2 intact.

As things stand, the Cavs look to have significant cap space in the summer of 2023, when the market will be flush with free agents. That being said, the Cavs also aren’t much of a free agent draw. Will being really good change that? Maybe, maybe not. Inking LeVert to a contract extension cuts into that space, so the Cavs would be wise to only do so at a solid value. Unfortunately, the history of this organization is to sign the extension or new contract now, ask questions later. That worked for Jarrett Allen, but less so for Kevin Love.

LeVert is in the midst of his prime, is probably properly paid and fits a need for this team. His presence could also help the team bring back Sexton at a value number. Yet if the Cavs make a longer-term commitment, especially a lucrative one, this could turn into a long-term problem quickly.

Grade: B-